Monthly Archives: December 2020

Before I begin this story, I must tell you the end. Because that’s really the beginning. Because it’s a love story. Charles died. Ann was at his side, as she had been for nearly 50 years. Although he was nearly … Continue reading →

I’ve never been a fan of Christmas. I don’t know any of the movies or songs. I generally just try to hide this time of year, which was a lot easier to do in 2020. But I finally felt compelled … Continue reading →

It’s Christmas Eve Day. All I want for Christmas is a pardon. Think about it. All I really did was to try to make people happy and a little bit more prosperous. OK, I did like the limelight. I am … Continue reading →

My sister’s take on a Pandemic Christmas, published in the Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-24/christmas-coronavirus-pandemic-home-alone

(Hope everyone has a safe and merry Christmas) The Old Man sat in a lawn chair intently observing his 2½-year-old great-grandson explore the mysteries of their backyard. Spring had finally blossomed, and both plants and animals were emerging after a … Continue reading →

WHATCHA WANNA EAT     “Wha do ya tink we does? I’m kinda beat, just sittin ron da house. How’s about we hit some bar and down a few?”     “Nah, not in da mood. I been so lickhered up since dis ‘rona … Continue reading →

December 25, 1944 My Darling, Darling Davey, I can’t believe you did this!  I got your Christmas surprises…the flowers, the sweets and the beautiful necklace.  I don’t know how you managed it.  The necklace is so perfect – two golden … Continue reading →

… I understand. There is a disturbance in your neighborhood … slow down, Sir …I need some information. Did you say something about a herd of flying reindeer? … Sir, have you been drinking at an office Christmas party? … … Continue reading →

Sherlock approached the crime scene slowly, gazing left and right in search of clues. He paused at the mailbox, opening the door slowly. He withdrew a pile of mail, glancing at each envelope, then returning it all to the box. … Continue reading →

When the temps plunged last week, a few of us girls on Fontanella Drive decided we needed a little Christmas. Having landed in the hinterlands of Prato seeking year-round warmth, we all knew real cold—Laurie’s from Michigan; Carol’s a native … Continue reading →

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. I know this for a fact because at 2 a.m. I was still assembling toys we had bought from Amazon. Most years I did this … Continue reading →

PERSONAL PERSONALITY A personality trait, heh? Many more than I need None stand out One is not greed Which one to pick? Very hard choice Maybe impatience Up the flagpole I’ll hoist Pandemic stresses traits Exaggerates them a lot Heavy … Continue reading →

Marigold Shoemaker hated her name. She had always hated her name. Some say that our name, beyond its objective purpose, encompasses what and who each of us is. Its essence is at the very heart of our existence. Names are … Continue reading →

Think I could have been better…. Sometimes Think I could have tried harder…. Sometimes Think I could have been there when you needed me Think I could of said what you bring to me Now I find myself dancing with … Continue reading →

When an old friend called the other day, we picked up where we had left off a few months ago. Old friends are like that. For starters, Peggy and her husband renovated a beach house last year while my husband … Continue reading →

ITALIAN THAKSGIVING     The Funicello family is a large, scattered clan who get together every year at Thanksgiving no matter what. This has been a family tradition since Nuncio, the patriarch of the family, migrated to the U.S. in 1897 from … Continue reading →

As you know, thanks to Dr. Fauci, I have been banned from flying to all your homes on Christmas Eve. There would be coal in his stocking if I could get to his stocking. I appealed the decision on the … Continue reading →

This is probably the most difficult prompt I have ever had to respond to simply because it assumes I have flaws that need correcting. Naturally, the concept of possessing a defective personality is highly unlikely— but since I need to … Continue reading →

That sound.  First faint a distant murmur of a hum. Then the crescendo as it comes closer. A taunting echoing cackle of sporadic random cadence at a fortissimo of booming sound. Your heart beats faster and your steps quicken as … Continue reading →

When an intimate group of friends gathered at Margot’s favorite restaurant to celebrate her 90th birthday, I raised a glass. “When I grow up,” I toasted, “I want to be Margot.” “You can’t,” she wryly responded. Already in my sixties, … Continue reading →

Lie between the padded silk as the ceiling fades with prose The time’s not right for the red-hot light beyond the ode composed   The gathered vestibule with Capricorns dressed bereft regalia clad Anoint the head, the soul is fed … Continue reading →

I used to rage about being put on hold while waiting for a human to speak with me. The friendly standard announcement didn’t help- “Your business is very important to us. Please listen to the following message as our options … Continue reading →